New Medieval Books: In Plain Sight
After the First Crusade, many Muslim communities in the Eastern Mediterranean found themselves under the rule of the Crusader States. This book delves into the lives of these Muslims, exploring how they adapted and endured under their new rulers.
Did the Knights Templar Keep a Pet Crocodile? A Medieval Mystery Unveiled
The Knights Templar, renowned for their military prowess and mystique, may have had an unusual companion at their headquarters in Acre—a pet crocodile.…
Contrasting Crusader Kings: Frederick II vs. Louis IX in Arabic Accounts
How did the contrasting crusader kings, Frederick II and Louis IX, shape the Holy Land through their unique approaches? Discover the diplomatic finesse of Frederick II and the zealous determination of Louis IX as seen through the eyes of Arabic historians
Siege Warfare in the Levant, 1097-1193
What did a siege look like in the 12th-century Middle East? How did people prepare for them? Which technique was the most likely to succeed?
Medieval site in Gaza added to the List of World Heritage in Danger
The early medieval archaeological site of Tell Umm Amer in Gaza, which includes the Monastery of Saint Hilarion, has been named to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It was also simultaneously added to its List of World Heritage in Danger.
New Medieval Books: Shi’ite Rulers, Sunni Rivals, and Christians in Between
This book examines how inter-religious relations worked in the Fatimid Caliphate during the late tenth and early eleventh centuries. It would be a period that saw great swings back and forth when it came to religious tolerance.
Murder and Political Drama in Medieval Syria and Egypt
The Crusaders were tough – but they had no monopoly on political violence. Murders within Muslim hierarchies were relatively common too.
Murder Below Stairs: Killing Servants in the 12th Century
Life in the crusader states and their Muslim enemies could be harsh – and the strictures of that life occasionally drove people to murderous violence
The County of Tripoli: A Forgotten Past
The silent alleys of Tripoli still retain their medieval charms. They tell the stories of glorious counts, chivalrous knights in shining armour, and fighting men of order.
Medieval journal has left us 7,000 weather reports
Historians are very interested in understanding environmental and climate conditions from the past. However, sources that can shed light on this information are hard to find, so being able to access over 20 years of records from a medieval writer is a gold mine of details.
New Medieval Books: The Mongol Storm
This book examines how the medieval Middle East was reshaped by the invasion of the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century. In this story of war and politics, new groups would emerge while others, including the Crusaders, would lose it all.
The Crusaders and Gaza
Almost eight hundred years ago, Gaza would be on the frontlines of another war, this one pitting the Crusaders against Fatimid Egypt.
The Battle of Ramla (1102): High-Watermark of the Egyptian Army
The Fatimid Egyptian empire fielded one of the most overlooked forces in the crusading period.
Crusaders and the Other Siege of Damascus (1129)
One thing was clear to even the most untalented strategic thinker amongst the Crusaders – they needed to recover at least some of the old Christian inland cities of the Holy Land if they were to create a defence in depth.
Crusader Fleets: A Missing Ingredient
We tend to associate the Crusaders with all the bold, visually striking, images of medieval warfare. Charging knights and crossbowmen. Castles and siege towers. What we do not often think of is sailors and fleets
The Forgotten Crusaders
In the aftermath of the successful First Crusade, a new strategy was formulated on how to keep the Near East under Frankish control. The Siege of Caesarea was one of the first steps.
Murder, Government and Power in the Crusader States
Violence in the crusading period was endemic – and even at the top of society, tragic accidents were suspiciously commonplace.
The Templar Catastrophe at Cresson
Steve Tibble tells us about the Battle of Cresson, which set the stage for a pivotal moment for the Crusaders..
Medieval inscription discovered in desert ruins
Archaeologists working on a desert ruin in the West Bank have discovered an early medieval inscription and gold ring. The rare inscription is in Byzantine Greek and contains a version of a verse from the Biblical Book of Psalms.
The Templars and Saladin
The fight between Saladin and the Templars was personal – a relationship based on a toxic blend of fear, grudging respect and animosity.
How Does a Place Become Holy? The Case of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem
The interesting question is: in what sense was the monastery connected to the Cross, and when and why was this connection established?
Byzantines and Fatimids at War: The Battles of the Orontes (994) and Apamea (998)
Their armies would meet in battle twice, and in both cases the Byzantine commander would make a fateful decision that would lead to his defeat.
Byzantine ‘magical mirror’ discovered in Israel
A high school student participating in an archaeological dig in northern Israel has uncovered an exceptional find from the Byzantine period—a 1,500-year-old “magical mirror.”
Could the Crusader States ever have survived?
So how then can we go about tackling a counter-factual question such as “Could the Crusader States ever have survived”?